Department for Transport

Cycling and Walking: Finance

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to allocate the remainder of the £2 billion investment to create “a new era for walking and cycling”, announced on 9 May.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: On 28 July the Prime Minister launched ambitious plans to boost cycling and walking, which set a long-term vision for half of all journeys in towns and cities to be cycled or walked by 2030. The plans include a £2 billion package of funding for active travel over the next 5 years. £225 million has been allocated to local authorities this financial year through the Emergency Active Travel Fund for immediate measures including new cycle lanes, wider pavements and safer junctions. £25 million has been allocated to cycle maintenance initiatives, including the Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme and the Big Bike Revival. Decisions on the remainder will be for the Spending Review in the autumn.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Accountancy: Standards

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 6 August (HL7506), and in the light of the fact that theFinancial Reporting Council (FRC) has indicated that a 'true and fair' override exists in both UK law and the standards of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), why the FRC's Accounting and Reporting Policy Team’s remit to follow and comment on the work of the IASB as it develops International Financial Reporting Standards prevents the FRC from issuing guidance on the application of a 'true and fair' view; and why this issue has not been resolved following theBusiness, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee's report Future of Audit, published in April 2019.

Lord Callanan: The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) issued a paper on ‘true and fair’ accounting in June 2014. Sir Donald Brydon made recommendations on ‘true and fair’ in his report on the Quality and Effectiveness of Audit. The Government is currently considering the full package of reforms needed following the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee's report Future of Audit, Sir Donald Brydon’s report, Sir John Kingman’s Independent review of Financial Reporting Council and the Competition and Markets Authority’s Market study of the audit market. The Government will publish our proposals for reform in due course.

Accountancy: Standards

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 8 September (HL7080), whether thisexample of Parliament not maintaining copyright over the publication ofUK-adopted international accounting standards has a precedent; and if not, what other examples there are where they have granted the copyright of the publication of laws passed by the UK Parliament to (1) companies registered in Delaware, or (2) any other third party organisations.

Lord Callanan: We are required, by the International Accounting Standards and European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, to publish a consolidated text of UK-adopted international accounting standards. Each jurisdiction which requires the use of international accounting standards has a licence agreement with the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation, who develop the standards and own the copyright for them. An agreement between the Government and the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation has not been finalised and, therefore, further detail may not be disclosed at this time. However, the agreement is a licence to allow the use of material and definitions, protected under copyright.

Accountancy: Standards

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 8 September (HL7080), whether they informed either House thatan agreement would be needed with, and there would be an uncapped unspecified fee payable to, a company registered in Delaware for making instruments of UK law available to the public when the European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 were before Parliament; if not, why not; and whether Ministers were aware of this fact; and if so, when they became aware.

Lord Callanan: The Government’s proposed agreement with the IFRS Foundation is a minor administrative matter. This is required to enable the UK’s adoption and endorsement of international accounting standards following the end of the Transition Period. All jurisdictions which use international accounting standards, including the EU, require such agreements with the IFRS Foundation. The proposed fee applicable is in line with HM Treasury guidance.

Construction: Standards

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of issues relating to construction and security at Liverpool Hope Hospital, Manchester Uptown, and the University of Sheffield, what plans they have to improve (1) the oversight, (2) the management, and (3) the quality of the outcome, of construction projects in the UK.

Lord Callanan: The Government is committed to improving the productivity and performance of the construction sector. For this reason, we published the Construction Sector Deal in 2018, which aims to transform the productivity of the sector. One key element of the Sector Deal is £420 million of combined investment from industry and the Government in digital and offsite manufacturing technologies. Digital techniques deployed at all phases of design will deliver improved safety during the construction and operation of buildings, producing better, surer results. Offsite manufacturing technologies will help to minimise the wastage, inefficiencies, and delays that affect onsite construction.

Department for Education

Schools: Mathematics

Lord Lingfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to create more new maths schools in England.

Baroness Berridge: The department has announced the approval of 5 new maths schools into the pre-opening stage: Cambridge Mathematics School, Durham Mathematics School, Imperial College London Mathematics School, Lancaster University School of Mathematics and Surrey Mathematics School. These are in addition to King’s Maths School and Exeter Maths School, which are already open, and the University of Liverpool Mathematics School, which opened in September 2020.The department is working with the proposers to obtain sites and prepare these schools for opening, subject to funding agreements. We are also in discussion with other potential maths school proposers, in order to have a 16-19 maths school in every region. Successful proposals will be announced in due course.

Literacy

Baroness Rebuck: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Education Endowment Foundation’s publication Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1, published on 30 September 2016; and what additional funding they plan to provide to schools to improve literacy, including for (1) the accurate assessment of the capabilities and difficulties children have in literacy, and (2) for one-to-one tutoring for those in greatest need returning to school after the COVID-19 lockdown.

Baroness Berridge: The Education Endowment Foundation’s publication emphasises the importance of systematic phonics approaches in reading and writing activities with pupils in key stage 1. There is sound evidence that systematic phonics is a highly effective method for teaching early reading. The evidence indicates that the teaching of phonics is most effective when combined with a language rich curriculum to develop children’s positive attitudes towards literacy. The National Curriculum for English places a renewed focus on the requirement for pupils to learn to read through systematic phonics, applying phonic knowledge and skills to word reading.In 2018 the department launched a £26.3 million English Hubs Programme. The department appointed 34 primary schools across England as English Hubs. The English Hubs Programme is supporting nearly 3,000 schools across England to improve their teaching of reading through systematic synthetic phonics, early language development, and reading for pleasure. The English Hubs are focused on improving educational outcomes for the most disadvantaged pupils in reception and year 1. The Education Endowment Foundation’s publication has been used widely across the English Hub community.The government has announced a catch up package worth £1 billion, including a ‘Catch up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million to support schools to make up for lost teaching time. Our expectation is that this funding will be spent on the additional activities required to support children and young people to catch up after a period of disruption to their education.The package also includes the National Tutoring Programme which provides up to £350 million to support disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils. This will increase access to subsidised, high-quality tuition for the most disadvantaged young people, helping to accelerate their academic progress and tackling the attainment gap between them and their peers.To support settings to make best use of this funding, the Education Endowment Foundation have published a COVID-19 support guide which includes evidence-based approaches to catch up for all students. Details can be found here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/national-tutoring-programme/covid-19-support-guide-for-schools/.

Schools: Coronavirus

Lord Blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information schools have receivedabout (1) their eligibility to access the COVID-19 related funding announced on 19 June and 20 July, (2) the amount of such funding they are likely to be entitled to, and (3) the timeframe for receiving such funding.

Baroness Berridge: On 19 June, the government announced a £1 billion COVID-19 catch up package, including a £650 million catch up premium to help schools support all pupils and the £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged students. Headteachers can decide how best to use their schools’ premium allocation to tackle the impact of lost teaching time on their pupils, but are encouraged to spend it on evidence-driven approaches including small group or one-to-one tuition, support over the summer, or additional support for great teaching. To help schools make the best use of this funding, the Education Endowment Foundation has published a support guide for schools with evidence-based approaches to catch up for all students, available here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/covid-19-support-guide-for-schools/#nav-covid-19-support-guide-for-schools1 and a further school planning guide: 2020 to 2021, available here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/guide-to-supporting-schools-planning/.On 20 July, the government published guidance setting out further information on the package, including details of the £650 million catch up premium. The funding will be available for all state-funded mainstream and special schools, and alternative provision. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-catch-up-premium.All pupils have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, so schools’ allocations from the catch-up premium will be calculated on a per pupil basis. This will provide each mainstream school with a total of £80 for each pupil and special, alternative provision and hospital schools with £240 for each place, across the 2020/21 academic year. We have applied additional weighting to specialist settings, recognising the significantly higher per pupil costs they face.The funding is to support catch up across the academic year and will therefore be provided in 3 tranches. We will provide schools with an initial part payment in autumn 2020, based on the latest available data. This will ensure schools do not need to delay in setting up programmes. We will then distribute a second grant payment in early 2021, based on actual pupil and place data for the 2020 to 2021 academic year, and a final payment will be made in the summer term 2021.In addition to the catch-up premium, we will spend up to £350 million on a National Tutoring Programme, to provide targeted support to disadvantage and vulnerable pupils. The programme, which has 2 strands will commence from November 2020. Through the Tuition Partners strand, schools will be eligible to access heavily subsidised tuition from an approved list of tuition partners for their pupils. Through our Academic Mentors strand, schools in the most disadvantaged areas can apply for support to employ in-house Academic Mentor to provide small group and 1:1 tuition to their pupils. Further information can be found here: https://nationaltutoring.org.uk/faqs. HL7610_PDF (pdf, 1726.1KB)HL7610_PDF (pdf, 4359.2KB)

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Nigeria: Terrorism

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the scale of attacks by Islamists on Muslim communities in Nigeria; and what data sources they used to inform any such assessment.

Baroness Sugg: The UK Government condemns all killings and incidents of violence against innocent Nigerian civilians, including terrorist attacks in North East Nigeria. Terrorist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) have caused immense suffering to both Muslim and Christian communities. These groups seek to undermine the right to freedom of religion or belief by indiscriminately attacking those of all faiths who do not subscribe to their extremist views.The UK Government draws on a range of robust data sources to assess the scale of attacks by terrorist groups on communities across Nigeria, including in the North East, where the majority of the population is Muslim. These sources include the Armed Conflict and Location Event Data (ACLED) database and UN reporting. The UK remains committed to supporting Nigeria and its neighbours in the fight against Boko Haram and ISWA.

Africa: Floods

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the statement by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance on the flooding that has affected people in West and Central Africa, and (2) the impact of those floods on (a) food security, and (b) the mass displacement of peoples, in the affected regions; and what steps they are taking to address the implications of the floods for each region in which they have existing development programmes.

Baroness Sugg: We are concerned by the risk posed to populations in West and Central Africa where approximately 760,000 people have been affected by floods in recent weeks across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria. Humanitarian partners are assessing the damage, including number of houses destroyed, people displaced and crops losses.The UK is the largest donor to the UN Central Emergency Response which has already begun to mobilise funds in response (including a £5 million allocation in Niger).In Niger and the Sahel the UK is working with existing partners to ensure work can continue and integrate flood response into established programmes where possible.We are also working to reduce flooding risks through the UK funded Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa programme. This support to the work of meteorological and associated offices in West Africa helps strengthen weather forecasting and early warning, as well as longer term climate forecasts. Access to early warning is one important aspect of building resilience to floods and other climate shocks. The UK has also supported the World Bank's Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) with £50 million over five years (2015-2020) to build the capacity of Sahel countries to develop their own social protection systems to support the poorest during climate related and weather shocks, including floods.Flooding can also increase the risk of desert locusts spreading within the area. We are taking steps to mitigate this risk by strengthening surveillance and control in the region through the Food and Agriculture Organization. We are also conscious of alternative drivers such as conflict which has created a food security situation in the Sahel which is of chronic concern.We will continue to closely monitor the situation, including through dialogue with OCHA at regional level. Increased flooding in Africa demonstrates the need for action on climate change which HMG is driving forward through COP26 preparations.

Israel: Schools

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they plan to make to the government of Israel about reports that (1) classroom chairs and tables, and (2)roof panels, from an elementary school in Ras al-Tinhave been confiscated by that government.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system in order to provide opportunities for the next generation. UK aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) helps to ensure it can deliver essential services including the provision of education and health services in the West Bank.We have regular discussions with the PA on the importance of ensuring children get a quality education.

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government at what level they will be represented at the United Nations General Assembly special high-level meeting on 2 October to recognise the significance of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government will not attend the United Nations event on 2 October to mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, which is used by states to promote the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The Government has no plans to recognise the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. However, we remain committed to disarmament, and to building the confidence and transparency we believe is vital to deliver our long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons. We believe further progress towards this goal can only be made through gradual multilateral disarmament, using a step-by-step approach under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The Government regularly engages in constructive discussions on disarmament. Most recently UK officials attended an event to mark the International Day against Nuclear Tests on 26 August.

Bahrain: Foreign Relations

Lord Collins of Highbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the meeting that took place between Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Ministers and the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 7 September, whether they discussed (1) the cases of death row inmates and torture victims Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa, (2) political prisoners in Bahrain, (3) medical negligence in Bahraini prisons, (4) prison conditions in Bahrain, and (5) the UK’s technical assistance programme to Bahrain.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: I raised the cases of Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa during my recent meeting with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. The Minister for the Middle East and I raised the use of the death penalty in Bahrain with the Foreign Minister, reiterating that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. The UK also provides technical assistance in support of Bahrain's ongoing reform agenda. Any technical assistance we provide is kept under regular review to ensure compliance with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance processThe Government of Bahrain has made clear that access to appropriate medical care for those in detention continues to be guaranteed, which means under normal circumstances that any prisoner wishing to see a doctor is taken to the prison clinic, with referral to specialist facilities where required; but that as part of Bahrain's COVID-19 precautions, all initial medical consultations now take place via video calls. Where necessary, physical appointments with external medical specialists continue to be available, although, in line with guidance issued by the World Health Organization, prisoners seeing external specialists are required to isolate for 10 days in a separate detention facility before returning to prison ensuring the safety of both patients and medical staff. We welcome these assurances from the Government of Bahrain, urge continued transparency and would encourage those with any concerns about treatment in detention to raise them with the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body.

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to recognise the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on 26 September.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government will not attend the United Nations event on 2 October to mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, which is used by states to promote the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The Government has no plans to recognise the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. However, we remain committed to disarmament, and to building the confidence and transparency we believe is vital to deliver our long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons. We believe further progress towards this goal can only be made through gradual multilateral disarmament, using a step-by-step approach under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The Government regularly engages in constructive discussions on disarmament. Most recently UK officials attended an event to mark the International Day against Nuclear Tests on 26 August.

Israeli Settlements: Housing

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they plan to make to the government of Israel about that government's proposals to build 5,000 new homes in the West Bank for Israeli settlers.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK's position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to avoid actions which make peace more difficult to achieve.

Bahrain: Foreign Relations

Lord Collins of Highbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the meeting that took place between Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Ministers and the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 7 September, what plans they have to increase cooperation with Bahrain.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK and Bahrain have a close and longstanding relationship. We benefit from a genuine and open dialogue in which we work together on a wide range of mutually beneficial issues while also raising points of significant difference with one another. The UK provides technical assistance in support of Bahrain's ongoing reform agenda. Any technical assistance we provide is kept under regular review to ensure compliance with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process.

Nigeria: Human Rights

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further representations they have made to the government of Nigeria to encourage (1) the investigation, and (2) the prosecution, of (a) war crimes, (b) crimes against humanity, and (c) other human rights abuses.

Baroness Sugg: The Nigerian authorities have a responsibility to investigate and prosecute all war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights abuses committed on their territory. We continue to make clear to the Nigerian authorities, at the highest levels the importance of protecting civilians including ethnic and religious minorities, and human rights for all. The Minister for Africa discussed the impact of violence in Nigeria with President Buhari's Chief of Staff, on 29 June.An International Criminal Court (ICC) preliminary examination into the situation in Nigeria commenced in 2010, and focussed on alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity including by Boko Haram in the North East. The ICC Prosecutor acknowledged that steps have been taken by the Nigerian authorities to investigate these offences but requested further information and evidence demonstrating that relevant national proceedings are being conducted or are intended to be conducted.The Nigerian Human Rights Commission, set up by the Nigerian Federal Government, also serves as an extra-judicial mechanism to safeguard the human rights of Nigerians. The UK Government will continue to push for allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights abuses to be investigated by the Nigerian authorities, and for those responsible to be held to account. Suspects should have access to justice and cases should be carried out in accordance with Nigerian law and international human rights standards.

Cyrpus: Territorial Waters

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the governments of Greece and Turkey about those governments' dispute over the territorial waters of Cyprus.

Baroness Sugg: The UK is in regular contact with Governments of Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus with regard to the ongoing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Officials continue to raise issues with the parties concerned.We believe it is critical for stability in the Mediterranean and for the integrity of the rules-based international system that tensions be reduced and that disputes be resolved through dialogue and in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We will continue to work with all parties in the region to that end.

West Bank: Education

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representationsthey have made to the Palestinian National Authority about the protection of the education of Palestinian children in the West Bank.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system in order to provide opportunities for the next generation. UK aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) helps to ensure it can deliver essential services including the provision of education and health services in the West Bank.We have regular discussions with the PA on the importance of ensuring children get a quality education.

Ethiopia: Christianity

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Ethiopia about reports that at least 500 Christians have been killed in that country since June.

Baroness Sugg: The UK is concerned by recent reports of violence in Ethiopia following the murder of Hachalu Hundessa on 29 June, and the widespread ethnically-driven violence that followed in Addis Ababa and the Oromia region. We have confirmed reports of over 200 killed in protests in June/July and my [Baroness Sugg] sympathies go to all those affected. Religious affiliation tends to be drawn along ethnic lines in Ethiopia. We assess that faith has not tended to be a reason for division in Ethiopia, which has been known as a notably multi-faith and tolerant society. However, we are concerned that some of the rhetoric around violence in recent months has taken a religious dimension. The Minister for Africa visited Ethiopia from 27 - 29 July and was able to discuss recent events with the President, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and the President of Oromia Region. He pushed for full and transparent investigations of the violence and that those detained are afforded due process and their cases heard promptly. The Minister for Africa also expressed the need for more peaceful dialogue between different groups in Ethiopia and for space to be given for political debate. We shall continue to monitor the situation, raise our concerns at the deaths of civilians and to raise the importance of respect for human rights in meetings with the Ethiopian Government and regional leaders.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Foreign Nationals

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to resume the recruitment to the Armed Forces of personnel born in Commonwealth countries.

Baroness Goldie: Recruitment of Commonwealth citizens has never stopped. Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, both the Army and the Royal Air Force (RAF) had received large numbers of applications from Commonwealth citizens. The Army therefore stopped accepting new applications in September 2019 and the RAF stopped accepting applications from outside the UK in November 2019. The Royal Navy (RN)/Royal Marines (RM) has continued to accept new applications.When the COVID-19 restrictions were implemented in March 2020, the RN/RM and RAF continued with the selection and initial training of all applicants who were already in the UK, including those from the Commonwealth. For those applicants based outside the UK, they continued to be proactively managed virtually, but their applications and the recruitment process could not be completed until candidates were once again able to fly to the UK and could meet any COVID-19 restrictions placed on their entry, such as quarantine measures.The Army temporarily paused all face-to-face selection until June and all Basic Training until May, but applicants continued to be managed and nurtured. Since selection and training has resumed, the Army has continued to process those applicants already in the UK, and those who had applied prior to September 2019. The Army continues to have enough applications from Commonwealth citizens to meet demand for the current Recruiting Year, and will not therefore be accepting new applications, other than for the Royal Corps of Music.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Pesticides

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban the production and export of pesticides and herbicides which are banned for use in the UK, including (1) paraquat, and (2) 1,3-dichloropropene.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: On the production of pesticides and herbicides, depending on the amounts produced, the manufacture of paraquat and 1,3 dichlorophene are regulated under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015 (COMAH) which implements an EU directive in this area. The COMAH Regulations will continue to apply to Great Britain after the Transition Period. The export from the UK of paraquat and 1,3-dichloropropene is regulated under Regulation (EU) 649/2012 on the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals, known as the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation. Companies intending to export any of these chemicals from the UK must notify the importing country via the exporter’s Designated National Authority. For the UK the Designated National Authority is The Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Paraquat and 1,3-dichloropropene additionally require the explicit consent of the importing country before export can take place. The exchange of information that PIC provides allows the importing countries to make informed decisions on the import of those chemicals and on how to handle and use them safely. Similar arrangements to PIC will come into force at the end of the Transition Period on 31 December.

Home Office

Children: Asylum

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional funding is available to local authorities to meet the needs of (1) homeless, and (2) unaccompanied child, asylum seekers; and what plans they have to address the impact of disproportionate patterns of settlement on specific local authority areas.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: (1) HomelessWe provided £4.3 billion to help councils to manage the impacts of COVID-19 which includes their work to support homeless people, including £3.7 billion which is not ringfenced, and £600 million to support social care?and a further £3.2 million in emergency funding for local authorities to support vulnerable rough sleepers.On 18 July, we launched the Next Steps Accommodation Programme (NSAP). This makes available the financial resources needed to support local authorities and their partners to prevent people from returning to the streets. The NSAP?is?made up of two?sources?of funding: £161?million?to?deliver 3,300 units of?longer-term move-on accommodation?in 2020/2021; and £105 million?of additional funding to pay for immediate?support?to ensure that people do not return to the streets.£23?million?will be provided so that vulnerable?individuals experiencing rough sleeping, including those?currently in emergency accommodation?as a response to COVID-19,?can access the specialist help they need for substance?dependency?issues, in order to rebuild their lives and move towards work and education.?This funding is part of the £262?million?funding announced at Spring Budget 2020.274 local councils will share £91.5 million of government funding to ensure interim accommodation and support for the most vulnerable people, including by helping people into the private rented sector, secure interim accommodation such as supported housing, and assess the wider support these people need in order to rebuild their lives. An additional £13.5 million fund will be used to enable local authorities to tackle new or emerging challenges.(2) Unaccompanied asylum-seeking childrenIn addition to the money paid to local authorities through the local government finance settlement the Home Office provides additional funding contributions to the costs incurred by local authorities looking after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) and former UASC care leavers. Increases to these contributions for 2020-21 were announced on 8 June.For each former UASC care leaver supported, local authorities now receive £240 per person per week. This represented a 60% increase to the lowest rate that was previously paid.Local authorities supporting UASC totalling 0.07% or greater of their general child population receive £143 per person per night for each UASC. All other local authorities receive £114 per person per night for each UASC in their care.The National Transfer Scheme (NTS) was established in July 2016 to achieve a more balanced distribution of UASC. The scheme was initially successful, achieving nearly 900 voluntary transfers of UASC from entry local authorities between July 2016 and December 2018.More recently the NTS has not been working as intended and there is a need to achieve a more equitable distribution of UASC. We have therefore worked with local government partners to develop proposals to further improve the NTS. On 28 August we launched an informal consultation with local authorities on these proposals.

Children: Asylum

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of (1) homeless, and (2) unaccompanied child, asylum seekers (a) in total, and (b) in each local authority area.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: (1) HomelessThe Government publishes quarterly statistics on statutory homelessness, and the latest published statistics covering January – March 2020 are available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/910414/DetailedLA_202003.xlsx.The number of households that have been initially assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness can be found in Table A1 in the link below. Tables A5P and A5R show the household composition of those owed a homelessness duty.(2) Unaccompanied asylum-seeking childrenThe number of looked after children who are unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are published annually in the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoptions’. The latest data refers to the year ending 31 March 2019 and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019. Figures by local authority are available in table LAA4.UASC are not distributed evenly around the country. The National Transfer Scheme (NTS) was established in July 2016 to achieve a more equitable distribution of UASC. We have worked with local government partners to develop proposals to further improve the NTS. On 28 August we launched an informal consultation with local authorities on these proposals.Stats release - "Children looked after:Eng adopt (pdf, 618.0KB)

Refugees: Children

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied children have been transferred since June to the care of councils since arriving in England from crossing the English Channel; to list the countries of origin of such children, including the number of children for each such country; what their policy is in regard to the long term needs and care of these children; and what plans they have to make the National Transfer Scheme compulsory.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government remains committed to helping and supporting children in need of international protection. Since 2010, the UK has received over 23,700 asylum claims from unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).The National Transfer Scheme (NTS) supports local authorities to transfer responsibility for these children to another participating local authority and seeks to achieve a fairer allocation of caring responsibilities across the country so that all children get the care and support they need.We publish data on the number of transfers completed under the scheme each quarter as part of the Home Office Migration Transparency Data (NTS_01), which is available on GOV.UK. As at June 2020, over 1,050 children had been transferred under the scheme since it began. We do not currently publish a nationality breakdown of those children transferred under the scheme, however these children would be a subset of the UASC data published as part of the ‘asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement’ volume of the quarterly Immigration Statistics (Asy_D01), which is also available on GOV.UK.UASC have often suffered deep trauma and they should receive the same level of care and support we would expect for any looked after child. In 2017, we published our Safeguarding Strategy for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking and Refugee Children which sets out the Government’s commitments to safeguard and promote their welfare.Whilst there are statutory powers to mandate a transfer scheme, our preference is to continue to operate the NTS on a voluntary basis. We recognise a need to achieve a more equitable distribution of UASC and have therefore worked with local government partners to develop proposals to further improve the scheme. On 28 August we launched an informal consultation with local authorities on these proposals. The consultation also seeks views on a potential mandatory approach should participation in the voluntary scheme not achieve a more proportionate distribution of UASC.

British Nationality: Children

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the estimated (1) legal, and (2) administrative, costs of their involvement in the case Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens v Home Office; and what they estimate such costs to be of any appeal to the judgment of that case.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The information that you have requested on legal and administrative costs is not available. Our systems do not record administrative costs against particular legal cases and as the litigation is ongoing we are not able to provide an accurate assessment of the legal costs.

Victim Support Schemes: Finance

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 2 May of £76 million extra funding to support survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and vulnerable children and their families and victims of modern slavery, when that funding will be fully rolled out to those in need.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) secured a £10 million fund for the provision of safe accommodation for domestic abuse victims and their children, which was first opened for applications on 7 May. Just over £8.7 million has already been paid to 122 successful charities. On 16 September MHCLG announced the final stage of the fund, with £971,207 allocated to 25 more successful charity bids. In total, the MHCLG £10 million Domestic Abuse COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund will re-open up to 344 bedspaces which were closed due to Covid-19 and will create up to 1,546 additional bedspaces. The Ministry of Justice allocated £25 million to support local charities across England and Wales which support victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence, and £3 million to recruit more Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs). To date, over £22 million of that has been distributed for 548 charities in England and Wales, £19.5 million to Police and Crime Commissioners and £2.6 million via the Rape Support Fund. £3.6 million has been allocated to PCCs for 95 ISVAs. The remainder of the funds will be distributed in due course. The Home Office received a £2 million fund to support national and regional charities in England and Wales which support victims of domestic abuse. £1.7 million has been allocated to 28 domestic abuse services. Almost all charities have been paid at least 50% of their allocations, with the remaining funds to be paid later in the funding period.The Home Office received £1.76 million of funding for modern slavery services, to support those organisations which work directly with victims in the Victim Care Contract (VCC). On 5 May the Home Office informed The Salvation Army, as the Prime Contractor of the VCC, of the funding available to them and sub-contracting organisations. This funding, rather than being disbursed via grant mechanisms, is being drawn down through existing contractual invoicing processes as required to meet additional costs related to the provision of victim support during the pandemic.A total of £34.15 million is being distributed by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Home Office to support vulnerable children’s charities/voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. Following a competitive assessment process, £7.6 million is being distributed through the joint Home Office and DfE Vulnerable Children National Charities Strategic Relief (VCNCSR) Fund. First payments (totalling over 50% of the amount) have been released to all successful applicants (Action for Children, Barnardo’s and The Children’s Society) with subsequent payments to follow later in the funding period.DfE is funding £7.27 million for a new “See, Hear, Respond” service being led by Barnardo’s. The service is now live and is already supporting children struggling to cope with the impacts of Covid-19 through online counselling, face-to-face support and support to return to education. The funding will end in November 2020.DfE are directly awarding £4.78 million of funding to charities providing key services to vulnerable groups, including the Family Fund, Grandparents Plus, Family Rights Group, FosterTalk, the Care Leavers Association, Become, Drive Forward Foundation and Adoption UK. £10 million has already been committed to the Family Fund, helping families with children who have complex needs and disabilities through grants for equipment which will make their lives easier.The Home Office is directly awarding the remainder of its funding for supporting vulnerable children’s charities/VCSE organisations (not allocated through the VCNCSR Fund) to charities/VCSE organisations working with children facing specific risks including child sexual exploitation and abuse, criminal exploitation including by county lines gangs, missing episodes and serious violence. This includes funding to be distributed by our 18 Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) to small and micro charities. First payments to VRUs (for onward distribution) and the other vulnerable children’s VCSE organisations (totalling 75% of the amount) have been released with the remaining amounts to follow later in the funding period.

Undocumented Migrants

Lord Lilley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether(1)EEA citizens, and (2) citizens of countries requiring visas to visit the UK, are permitted to enter the UK at a point on the coast which does not have a port or any form of border control.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: All passengers arriving in the UK at passport control are checked against Home Office databases. The majority of these are checked against our systems before they even travel, through the collection of advanced passenger information (API).Border Force defines General Aviation (GA) and General Maritime (GM) as any arrival into the UK that is not operating to a specific and published schedule and departing at both small airports and marinas with no Border Force presence, and at major airports where Border Force officers are located. Both EU/EEA citizens (1) and visa nationals (2) may arrive at General Aviation or General Maritime portsThere is a requirement for advance passenger information to be submitted for General Aviation and General Maritime arrivals. When the relevant information is received, and there is a requirement to examine the passenger, Border Force Officers will be deployed.

Refugees: Employment

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 9 September (HL Deb, col 820),what plans they have to meet with the Lift the Ban Coalition andRefugee Action to discuss (1) the requests of those organisations, (2) the timeline for the completion of the review into the right to work, and (3) the reasons for the delay in the conclusion of that review to date.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Officials will be meeting with Asylum Matters to discuss asylum seeker right to work policy in due course.

Cabinet Office

Town and Country Planning (Border Facilities and Infrastructure) (EU Exit) (England) Special Development Order 2020

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to consult the local authorities affected by the Town and Country Planning (Border Facilities and Infrastructure) (EU Exit) (England) Special Development Order 2020, which comes into effect on 24 September; and what plans they have to site a lorry park in the Newhaven and Lewes areas.

Lord True: Government officials have been in direct contact with Local Authorities which could be directly impacted by an inland site in their area. Officials also wrote to indirectly impacted Local Authorities to inform them that there are not any imminent plans in their area for an inland site and that they will be notified should this change. We want to ensure that appropriate infrastructure is in place, not just in Newhaven and Lewes, but at other ports also.On 12 July, the Government announced a £705 million funding package in 2020/21 for border infrastructure, staffing and IT to ensure GB border systems are fully operational when the UK takes back control of its border after the end of the transition period.

Department for International Trade

Trade and Agriculture Commission: Public Appointments

Lord Rose of Monewden: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to widen the membership of the Trade and Agriculture Commission to include representatives from (1) animal welfare groups, and (2) environmental groups.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: Membership of the Trade and Agriculture Commission was announced by my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade on 10 July. Beyond the membership of the Commission itself, there are ways for relevant representatives to engage with and contribute to the work of the Commission, most notably as part of three technical working groups that have now been established around the themes of competitiveness, consumers and standards. Further details on the terms of reference and membership of the Commission can be found on gov.uk: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trade-and-agriculture-commission-tac).